Post by bot on Jun 5, 2004 20:40:39 GMT -5
Iraq inquiry questions ministers
By Christopher Adams and Jimmy Burns
Published: June 4 2004 22:09 | Last Updated: June 4 2004 22:09
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The inquiry ordered by Tony Blair into the intelligence underpinning Britain's decision to go to war in Iraq has ranged more widely than expected at the time the terms of its remit were set.
It is understood that Lord Butler of Brockwell, the former cabinet secretary leading the inquiry, has interviewed senior ministers and Whitehall officials about the intelligence that flowed into the office of Lord Goldsmith, attorney-general, before he gave his opinion that the war was legal.
According to a senior Whitehall insider, Lord Butler's line of investigation suggests he is examining how the government made crucial judgments in the run-up to the conflict and how well the cabinet functioned.
The Butler inquiry was set up in February following a decision by George W. Bush, US president, to order his own investigation into why no weapons of mass destruction have been found in Iraq. It is due to report next month.
The inquiry's broader scope opens the possibility of laying responsibility for flawed decisions at the door of ministers, threatening fresh damage to the government.
Its findings carry huge political implications for Mr Blair, who was exonerated by Lord Hutton of any wrongdoing in the circumstances surrounding the death of David Kelly, the government weapons expert. Any criticism of how intelligence was disseminated and used could undermine Mr Blair's case for the invasion of Iraq and dent Labour's prospects for re-election.
Lord Butler has told friends he believes the investigation should be bold. He has been stung by predictions that it will be a "whitewash" and the decision of opposition parties not to be represented because they considered the inquiry to be too restricted.
The Financial Times has established that witnesses, including Lord Goldsmith, Sir Jeremy Greenstock, former ambassador to the United Nations; and Elizabeth Wilmhurst, a former Foreign Office lawyer who resigned over the war, have been interviewed as well as ministers including Mr Blair, Jack Straw and Geoff Hoon.
"It's going for how the government went through the decision-making process and how different parts of Whitehall responded to requests for information," said a person familiar with the inquiry process. "It's more than information. It's responsibility for cabinet-style government decisions."
The attorney-general's advice, which the government has refused to publish, has been made available to the inquiry along with intelligence information and material from GCHQ, the UK's eavesdropping centre.
MI6, the secret intelligence service, has provided Lord Butler with documentation that includes all reports from the joint intelligence committee, which co-ordinates intelligence across Whitehall, dating back to the first Gulf war. The inquiry is using the documents to identify people at the heart of government decision-making.
Lord Butler's team met members of the US inquiry in March.
By Christopher Adams and Jimmy Burns
Published: June 4 2004 22:09 | Last Updated: June 4 2004 22:09
news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1085944533571
The inquiry ordered by Tony Blair into the intelligence underpinning Britain's decision to go to war in Iraq has ranged more widely than expected at the time the terms of its remit were set.
It is understood that Lord Butler of Brockwell, the former cabinet secretary leading the inquiry, has interviewed senior ministers and Whitehall officials about the intelligence that flowed into the office of Lord Goldsmith, attorney-general, before he gave his opinion that the war was legal.
According to a senior Whitehall insider, Lord Butler's line of investigation suggests he is examining how the government made crucial judgments in the run-up to the conflict and how well the cabinet functioned.
The Butler inquiry was set up in February following a decision by George W. Bush, US president, to order his own investigation into why no weapons of mass destruction have been found in Iraq. It is due to report next month.
The inquiry's broader scope opens the possibility of laying responsibility for flawed decisions at the door of ministers, threatening fresh damage to the government.
Its findings carry huge political implications for Mr Blair, who was exonerated by Lord Hutton of any wrongdoing in the circumstances surrounding the death of David Kelly, the government weapons expert. Any criticism of how intelligence was disseminated and used could undermine Mr Blair's case for the invasion of Iraq and dent Labour's prospects for re-election.
Lord Butler has told friends he believes the investigation should be bold. He has been stung by predictions that it will be a "whitewash" and the decision of opposition parties not to be represented because they considered the inquiry to be too restricted.
The Financial Times has established that witnesses, including Lord Goldsmith, Sir Jeremy Greenstock, former ambassador to the United Nations; and Elizabeth Wilmhurst, a former Foreign Office lawyer who resigned over the war, have been interviewed as well as ministers including Mr Blair, Jack Straw and Geoff Hoon.
"It's going for how the government went through the decision-making process and how different parts of Whitehall responded to requests for information," said a person familiar with the inquiry process. "It's more than information. It's responsibility for cabinet-style government decisions."
The attorney-general's advice, which the government has refused to publish, has been made available to the inquiry along with intelligence information and material from GCHQ, the UK's eavesdropping centre.
MI6, the secret intelligence service, has provided Lord Butler with documentation that includes all reports from the joint intelligence committee, which co-ordinates intelligence across Whitehall, dating back to the first Gulf war. The inquiry is using the documents to identify people at the heart of government decision-making.
Lord Butler's team met members of the US inquiry in March.